This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
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Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
For your weekend perusal, photographer Michael Stokes took hot photos of wounded veterans (mostly amputees). My favorite comment of his in the article: ““I wasn’t thinking about empowering these vets,” Stokes said. “They have the confidence already. I was just giving them the exposure.””
(there are comments in the comment section about it being all white guys, and someone linked to the photog’s facebook timeline that show other races are included in the full body (ahem) of work)
dammit
I forgot to recharge my camera
Busy morning so far. Took care of the early morning change, then gave the Redhead a bath with wet wipes, and changed out her gown and linens because of all the sweat. She looks a lot perkier now. Left her with a cup of coffee while I’m taking a little coffee break. Then on to laundry and our breakfasts.
carlie,
That one even got an article in Croatian papers. My first thought … Ok my second thought* was that either only extremely hot people were chosen for the photo shoot or only extremely hot people felt confident enough to expose themselves like that.
But it probably isn’t fair to complain about body diversity when the whole point was representation of body diversity.
* I think you can probably guess my first thought
Boo. Can’t see those pictures at work. :( “Entertainment”. Seriously, Computer, it’s “Educational Material”. Geez.
I’ll take a look when I get home. ;)
Yay carlie for things looking good for kid.
And I just cleaned the flat and I’m soaked because it’s so humid here. Not even hot, but humid.
Also, there’ll be a refugee residence in the street where Mr lives during the week. Of course the
neonazisconcerned citizens* are collecting signatures against it. Mr asked them why he should sign, but they couldn’t give him any reasons (probably becuse they would have to clearly voice their racism then).I so hate those people. They make me shake with rage and anger. Told Mr that when the residence is established he should spend some money at the Ikea toy section, buy some sweets and show up there to welcome them.
*nahhh, they don’t see themselves as fascists or Nazs. They are not called fascists even if they make comments of “gassing undesirables” and show the Hitler salute.
Giliell,
The fascists are of course horrible, but I’m impressed by the local government that they are building a refugee center in the middle of a town.
Both in Slovenia and Croatia, these kind of places end up on the outskirts of some tiny town or village where presumably no one had enough political clout to avoid that. How is integration going to be accomplished when you stuck people in the middle of nowhere, where they have a hard time building a support structure of earlier migrants?
Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought #500
Never underestimate the power of a pad bun!
(sorry, couldn’t resist).
(I take responsability for any interpretation in any language of the
galaxyuniversemultiverse).beatrice
It’s less of a “what they want to do” than a “what can we do”. By now the regular refugee centres/residences are beyond their limits. People are “housed” in gyms, tents, old schools. Thoigh there are better and worse solutions. Where I live the strategy beyond the one central place is to acquire public housing and give people regular flats so they can start leading a “normal life” as soon as possible instead of being isolated.
In the long run, this current crisi will benefit us because it will strengthen and revive public housing.
Tony @493 in the “Older Comments” section: I saw the coverage of Mormon porn. Good for a laugh, that’s for sure. Mormonism is a cult that’s ripe for porn. Transgression of the rules is just there for the taking. And there’s that mormon underwear. Fetish, anyone.
Here’s the discussion from ex-mormons:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1628144
The ex-mormons picked up on the “tithing”-themed fundraising. Very funny.
You said you wanted craft posts: the little one’s very first sewing project
#1 is pretty frustrated because she hasn’t even cut out her pattern yet…
carlie, you and your family are totally brilliant. It sounds like Aunt and her household are right at the top of the best possible chances for this young person, and very probably the best possible chance, even though it must be hard for him being away from people he will miss. I’m so glad you were all able to help him and holy shit but you’ve dealt with a lot in the last few days!!! It must have shaken you all up quite a bit. Hope you all get a chance to get back on an even keel over the next few days :-)
I think I’ve missed quite a bit in the last couple of days, but respects and salutations and I hope you are all well here in the Lounge.
DaughterSpawn had to go to hospital with minor burns due to a minor accident in the middle of the night of the Big Enormous Graduation Party, but fortunately the accident didn’t occur until the small hours so a decent-amount-verging-on-most of the party had already been enjoyed by then, so it’s not too bad. ¿Quién nos quita lo bailado?. (I can never think of a really good English equivalent for that, literally “Who can take away the [dancing we’ve] already-danced?”).
Lovely sunny day today, yea even here in Blighty. Went to a free weekend festival thing in a neighbourhood not too far away, because SonSpawn was playing in a little project ensemble at the bottom of the bill (top of the bill was Femi Kuti), and ended up having fun bowling (I mean actual proper ;-) bowling, the kind with a jack and off-centre weighted balls that roll in a curve, not the ten-pin kind :-) which I haven’t done for ages, and getting extensively and vigorously sunned-on with much sun. It was neck-and-neck until the last end, which I lost :-( but at least I won some ends and got right up to the jack a couple of times so that was fun. The people in charge wanted to know if we were local, probably because bowling clubs are almost always desperate for any new players under the age of about a hundred and ten. I don’t know why bowling isn’t more popular with younger people, it’s fun :-)))
Just read one of the funniest things on Facebook:
“Donald Trump is like if a comments section ran for office”.
Snorfle!
****
opposablethumbs:
Sorry to hear about DaughterSpawn’s injury. I hope it’s not too bad.
****
carlie:
Yay for how things have turned out for the kid.
****
Still jobless. The irrational part of me feels like I’ve been blacklisted from everywhere I *want* to work and some places I don’t really want to work, but applied at. I can hold out on paying some bills til next month, but that means August is going to be loaded up. Especially with fucking $412 for rent by the fourth. Thankfully I filled out my income taxes late (strange to be saying that), so I’ll be getting a check in the mail for $259 in the next couple of weeks, but that of course isn’t enough to cover rent. I really don’t want to go work for Walmart, but A: they’re always hiring and B: they’re walking distance from my house, and without a vehicle, that’s a huge plus.
Dear nonexistent god,
I’d really like to get back to some semblance of financial security soon. I miss shopping, going to the movies, going on vacation, having the money to go clubbing, or hell, just having money to buy a bottle of alcohol and drink at home. So if you’d kindly stop shitting on me that would be great. And while you’re at it, stop shitting on everyone else too.
I know I’m not the only person struggling with finances, so I feel bad airing this here, but ya’ll are the only ones I can talk/vent to about it.
****
Speaking of walking distance, I walked to the Dollar General store earlier today. It’s roughly a 40 minute walk. Hot Damn, was it hot outside. I saw a temp reading a store that said 97°F and it felt like that. I was dripping in sweat when I got home. Had to be done bc the dogs were out of food and for some reason they think they should eat twice a day. Go figure.
Tony!, thank you and it doesn’t seem to have been too bad – I haven’t seen her (this all happened in another city, whence she headed home to where she lives now (which is in a third other city)) but we spoke on the phone and she said she’s just got a bandaged hand and some painkillers, unpleasant but no serious damage done.
I’m really sorry things have been so shitty on the job front for you. It comes through so clearly from the way you write and the things you say that you are great with interactions and human relations, and would be a seriously excellent asset to any decent bar/restaurant as barman/bar manager. I was so sorry when it turned out that the last place couldn’t offer enough work to live on. I know it butters no parsnips, but I’m just one of a lot of people crossing fingers and tentacles for you.
It’s raining again. Yesterday afternoon and evening it rained off and on for about seven hours, for a total of just under half an inch, and it looks like we’ll be getting more today. Every drop helps. As long as you don’t live in areas prone to flooding and mudslides, that is.
[refills basket of hugs and goes back to embroidery]
Thoughts on the new Gravatar…?
Tony! I like it.
Anne @18:
Thank you :)
****
Mellow Monkey left a comment in this thread.
Now, about Daz…
Ugh, found out why it has been so warm downstairs. The main exhaust fan, for which I have a plastic flap with velcro, so I can cover it for cold nights, had decided that the plastic should be tight against the fan in spite of the heat. *facepalm*
Corrected that, and the air downstairs started flowing normally. The Redhead is happier.
Waiting for her to tell me serve dinner. Rotisserie chicken (leg and thigh), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and fresh green beans, with a glass of white zif.
Chigau, on The current Mended Drum, is holding hiddenology* at #271
indeed, not letterally far from that other unfortunate human construct:
on the other hand, the system here odds all blacks
—
(I don’t know if this is phonetically correct, both as a non-native E and as hearing deficient, E natives will tell me if that’s okphone, or if odd is never possibly used as a verb. There might also be an issue with cultural use of “blacks” which might be limited to racist folks in practice –not sure either about that but it may share semantic weight that I don’t perceive and actually don’t mean).
—
This is not funny, since it carries revolting truth, but can we consider it punny? (I mean, pun is not necessarily about funniness or am i wrong?).
Giliell, well done to your little one! Blaui is adorable!
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opposablethumbs: Ouch! I hope DaughterSpawn heals up quickly and without adverse incident.
–
*hugs* for Tony!, with continued *tentacles crossed* for your speedy re-employment.
I like it, a lot.
:)
–
Hi, Okidemia; I don’t believe we’ve met? Unless 1) you used to use another ‘nym, or 2) we have met, but my memory has misfiled it.
Anyway.
Your punny does work, puns aren’t always funny, and “the system here odds all blacks” is mordantly true—and sardonically funny—in so many places.
–
In fact, I would go so far as to call it a pungent observation.
;)
–
Tony! The Queer Shoop @17
I have to admit it’s really cool, and even try on more laudatory, but then I could not say how confusing it is to me, because it really looks like younger me with a nice rebel and tonic (sic) tone, without passing as strongly narcissic. I would then have to publicly admit narcissism to a level I’m not ready to concede, even if it is certainly increasing my sympathy (yes I’m narcissic, but you were sympathetical even before that gravatar). No, I’m just naturally confused these days, it’s age… :)
cicely @22
I’ve only been using this nym so far, but once where I commented under my real identity quite longer ago. I’m shy though, and actually I’m doing things on leisure (like here) that could bring prejudice to rl matters, so instead of working nymely, I live nymely. Germans have a word for that I think: Nimelungen… :)
if by meeting here you mean that we commented on threads commonly (by which I mean “in commun”, not necessarily “frequently”), this is true, I remember your nym. I don’t remember specifics though and we may not have cross interacted directly. It’s difficult to me to remember, because I don’t actually comment as much as I think I do, sometimes I think I comment but things happen. I still behave as if I did though.
Oh no, the Redhead thinks she caught something from her CNA’s and her temperature is way up for her, and she sounds like she has a cold. Where’s the alcohol so I don’t catch it????
Wowie zowie. We got a bit over two inches of rain today in about two hours. There were a few downpours. Now it has just been a constant light rain for about three hours that will probably last another two hours. There is flooding in the desert. I’m glad I live on top of a mountain. Mother nature sometimes has a sense of humor, sometimes not.
Glad to see a comment from Mellow Monkey!!!!
Very cute new gravatar, Tony! :)
The world is a strange place.
Okidemia
If we do, it’s none I recognise ;) But I could of course always make you one!
cicely
I’ll pass the compliments on!
opposablethumbs
Ouch. I hope daughter’s hand heals nicely.
Tony
Cool avatar!
Sorry bout the job situation. I know Walmart are shitty employers. Part why they didn’t succeed as expected in Germany is because their policies didn’t fly here. If you have to go there, think about it as an in-between until you get back onto your feet again *hugs*
Hello?
(This is a test.)
Giliell @29:
Wow. Walmart actually failed ? I’m so used to seeing them all over the place here in the States. I think I just assumed that anywhere they opened a location, they’d be there for good.
Morgan, please send the hurricane remnants further north so I too can enjoy some rain, thanks.
Hello, rq, hello, rq
This is not a test, I repeat, this is not a test.
This is a hello.
Tony
Yep, they started here in the late 1990’s and, following the idea of US exceptionalism, simply thought that if they brought us US shopping they’d sweep the market. Because if other countries have different shopping cultures, then those are clearly inferior and will be supplanted. Didn’t fly here. Especially not their ideas about how to treat employees. They tried to ban folks from having relationships with each other AND installed phones where people could denounce fellow employees suspected of having a relationship. They were shocked, I tell you, shocked when they were expected to actually follow the laws!
They sold their markets in Germany in 2006.
My mum in law worked for them until they closed down the cafeteria. It didn’t make enough profit. They failed to account for the fact that it brought people to the shop, especially 50+ couples who’d do their weekly grocery shopping and have lunch there.
Thank you, cicely and Giliell – it will take a little while before the bandage can come off and I expect it’s not very nice, but apparently it’s all on the mend so no problem :-)
Nice gravatar, Tony!
We have Walmart tentacles here under the guise of the national supermarket chain they bought out – Asda, which they now wholly own. Haven’t noticed any changes to it, but then I wouldn’t – there isn’t a branch anywhere near enough to go to anyway so I’m not that familiar with them. Haven’t heard of any changes to it, I should say.
Nike came out with a new pair of shoes specifically geared to people with physical disabilities:
Here’s Nike’s page where you can buy the shoes. At $130, they aren’t cheap though. Nike might want to work on dropping the price of those shoes. Half that price would be great.
One of the drawbacks of having no job is that I go to sleep whenever I want to. The only drawback to that is, well, let me tell you about this horrible case of SIWOTI I’ve had for several hours.
Rand Paul takes on the Planned Parenthood issue by standing up for individual freedom and opposing government intervention in people’s personal lives
Just kidding. It’s the other way around. Got your attention though, didn’t it?
Tony,
New avatar looks good. :)
BIG TRIGGER WARNING:
Mexico’s Rates Of Missing And Murdered Women Reaches Epidemic Proportions http://live.huffingtonpost.com/#r/highlight/mexicos-rates-of-missing-and-murdered-women-reaches-epidemic-proportions/55a6b647fe34446dce0000ee?cps=gravity_2684_-3468559707480512524
Thai fishing industry turns to trafficking: ‘We witnessed girls being raped again and again’ – video http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2015/jul/20/thailand-fishing-industry-rohingya-trafficking-slavery-rape-video
Isn’t it time to boycott the hell out of that nasty country?
Cambodian tycoon attack victim: ‘I cannot accept what he did to me’ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/20/cambodian-tycoon-sok-bun-attack-victim-ek-socheata-sasa
George RR Martin urges ‘every true fan’ to rally for Hugo awards vote http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/20/george-rr-martin-hugo-awards-vote-game-of-thrones-science-fiction
Titles in the running for the best novel award Hugo this year are Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Sword, Kevin J Anderson’s The Dark Between the Stars, Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor, Jim Butcher’s Skin Game and Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem.
I have read (and liked) Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Sword, Jim Butcher’s Skin Game and Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem. My problem with the last book is that it postulates a civilisation existing on a world at the nearest star system.
If civilisations were that closely packed, Earth would have been overrun by colonisers before the trilobitees showed up.
The only thing I didn’ like about Ancillary Sword was that Ancillary Mercy isn’t out yet…
So. I finished another online class UFO. I’m hot, I’m sticky, I didn’t get much sleep last night and I have a horrible headache, so I don’t feel like prettifying the link, but here it is anyway.
https://anne-d.dreamwidth.org/216761.html
Giliell
Yep. Right there with you, and have been for months now.
Tony
Like the new pic.
Anne
The colors in your project are nice and vibrant.
Tony, the new Gravatar is great.
Tony @35, there’s no women’s version of this shoe? Disappointed.
In other news, here’s another excellent reason to hope Marco Rubio fails in his bid for the presidency: “The next president of the United States must nominate Supreme Court justices that believe in the original intent of the Constitution and apply that. We need more Scalias and less Sotomayors.”
Good news from Utah: that über conservative state is now likely to be the 31st state to accept the Medicaid expansion that is part of Obamacare. The state is following Montana, which expanded Medicaid in April, and Alaska which did the same thing last week. Another win for healthcare in the USA. Dragging Republicans kicking and screaming all the way.
ajb47, thanks! I love that combination of colors. Laurel Burch used those a lot, and she’s one of my favorite artists, so I started playing with them too.
I too am counting down to Ancillary Mercy.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/koch-brothers-lose-health-care-battle-to-nun-486735427574
This business of making healthcare affordable for poor people doesn’t really strike me as progressive versus conservative issue. It’s more of a human issue. Rachel’s coverage includes a few laughs at the expense of the Koch brothers.
Having trouble doing the brain thing. The doctor screwed up and only gave me a prescription for half a month of adderall. I tool half-tablets for a while but I’ve been out for about a week now. I was wondering if it still did anything for me, now I know.
I found this.
The man who is leading the “Counter Jade Helm” movement is a real piece of work.
Here a few highlights from Lanteri’s online comments:
Well, I guess we know where they get the idea that liberals are going to round up patriots and christians and put them in FEMA camps. That’s their proposed method of stopping people with whom them disagree.
Talking Points Memo link
Anne
That’s gorgeous! I love the colours and the patterns.
+++
Also, man, I hadn’t even noticed how much I missed sewing. So, in case you’re not totally fed up, Echsie the Lizard, with pattern and instructions
Giliell, thank you!
I love the lizard, it’s adorable.
Giliell
The lizard looks great, but I also couldn’t help noticing you have wild strawberries! I love those.
In other news, cleaning all the things takes a lot of time and effort. Who’d have thought.
Brony: It probably works as well for Christians convinced that they are being persecuted. Let us see….
“In both experiments, we found that
whitesChristians exposed to evidence ofwhiteChristian privilege claimed more hardships than those not exposed to evidence of privilege,” the researchers report. In other words, evidence that theirracereligion was an advantage promptedwhiteChristian people to move toward a victimhood mindset.”Well, gang, waddayathink? Have we found yet another demonstration of those regrettable flaws built into human brainmeats?
–
Buzzfeed is reporting that Torrid has released superhero dresses for women of all sizes:
They’re primarily Avengers movie-themed dresses: Captain America, Iron Man, Loki, and Black Widow. There’s also a Star Wars one.
I’m sure no one here would be interested in these dresses. Nope. Not a soul :)
****
I may have a lead on a job!
Literally, as I was composing this message, I got a call from a huge entertainment complex here in Pensacola called Seville Quarter. They’re looking to staff up in various areas-bartending, serving, security, banquet staff. This place has been around for decades and has a great deal of business. I have an interview Wednesday @230. Fingers and toes crossed.
I almost forgot – great new avatar, Tony! I’m sorry about ongoing troubles with the job hunt.
And I was composing my message, you got good news :)
Good luck on Wednesday!
Tony
All thumbs are being held.
beatrice
Unfortunately not, they’re just badly growing regular strawberries. We’re too high here for bees and the wind doesn’t polinate them well :(
Ahhh, but I remember wild strawberries. *cue skeleton on cupbord in The Last Unicorn*
My gran’s sister had them in her garden and I would pick them and line them on a long straw and when it was full I’d nibble them all off.
Tony!
OMG, you have eyes! :) Crossed tentacles for the job offer, and sympathies on the heat; we’re having similar temperatures here.
If you thought some of the claims about the Confederate flag not having anything to do with racism were ridiculous, you ain’t seen nothing yet. People are claiming that a section of a mural that features Klansmen in a Baker County, Florida, courthouse isn’t racist, just a part of Southern heritage.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/its-not-a-racist-thing-florida-rally-fights-to-keep-mural-of-hooded-klansmen-in-county-courthouse/
Interestingly the mural was put up in 2001.
My workday was shortened due to grizzly bear.
I have internet, maybe I can catch up.
chigau,
How did the grizzly feel about the encounter? (grin)
carlie: YAY! I’m glad it’s working out and so, so happy I could I help. You are awesome, Kid’s Aunt sounds awesome, I’m sure Kid is awesome and wish him the best.
(The weekend really sucked (bunch of drama, Roomie’s workdays sucked, Little One got stuck in laundry room, confronted Complex Manager about broken and unsafe shit, mailbox broken into so we have to go pick up from postoffice and more goddamn drama) so reading your messages then like “hey, so you don’t fuck everything up!” really helped me get through it. I just could not comment then, sorry.)
Tony: YAY! Good luck! *crosses fingers*
————————————————————-
Mom Update: She was released from the hospital a couple days ago and is recovering fine. They wound up removing her spleen. They’ve found a friend to stay with for a week, which should give them enough time to get Mom’s husband’s first check if they want/need a hotel/temporary place to stay again.
Rent Update: Waiting on a call back from Salvation Army (ugh) and I have an appointment with the city on Friday for a case review to see if they can help again. Roomie’s been working more than the last two weeks, which helps out a lot and he’s set up to do training this week to be a cabbie as well. Scary and I worry a lot so that’s new ripe ground for my brain to ruin.
Job Update: I GOT A JOB! YAAAAY! I’ve filled out the background check and did the drug testing today and my start date is August 3rd. It’s the great job that I gushed about wanting like a month ago. Apparently someone up and quit and they called me. They’re moving the schedule around to fit me in (the person who quit had the shift starting at 5am and I can’t there in time on the bus) and the person I’ve been talking with is AWESOME. Love her so much.She’s the one that got me the first interview, told me their call volume dropped so they couldn’t hire me and got me two subsequent interview with different sections of the company. Finally! So.fucking.happy. And relieved!
Now, I’ve got to hunt down places that can give me free professional clothes since I’ve only got the one interview outfit and bus cards. And school clothes and supplies for Little One.
And I’m sure like a million other fucking things I need to take care but for now, I GOT A FUCKING JOB!!!
Uh, sorry if this ends up double posting. It shouldn’t but I’ve no idea what happened to the first attempt….
carlie: YAY! I’m glad it’s working out and so, so happy I could I help. You are awesome, Kid’s Aunt sounds awesome, I’m sure Kid is awesome and wish him the best.
(The weekend really sucked (bunch of drama, Roomie’s workdays sucked, Little One got stuck in laundry room, confronted Complex Manager about broken and unsafe shit, mailbox broken into so we have to go pick up from post office and more goddamn drama) so reading your messages then like “hey, so you don’t fuck everything up!” really helped me get through it. I just could not comment then, sorry.)
Tony: YAY! Good luck! *crosses fingers*
Mom Update: She was released from the hospital a couple days ago and is recovering fine. They wound up removing her spleen. They’ve found a friend to stay with for a week, which should give them enough time to get Mom’s husband’s first check if they want/need a hotel/temporary place to stay again.
Rent Update: Waiting on a call back from Salvation Army (ugh) and I have an appointment with the city on Friday for a case review to see if they can help again. Roomie’s been working more than the last two weeks, which helps out a lot and he’s set up to do training this week to be a cabbie as well. Scary and I worry a lot so that’s new ripe ground for my brain to ruin.
Job Update: I GOT A JOB! YAAAAY! I’ve filled out the background check and did the drug testing today and my start date is August 3rd. It’s the great job that I gushed about wanting like a month ago. Apparently someone up and quit and they called me. They’re moving the schedule around to fit me in (the person who quit had the shift starting at 5am and I can’t get there in time on the bus) and the person I’ve been talking with is AWESOME. Love her so much.She’s the one that got me the first interview, told me their call volume dropped so they couldn’t hire me and got me two subsequent interview with different sections of the company.
Finally! So.fucking.happy. And relieved!
Now, I’ve got to hunt down places that can give me free professional clothes since I’ve only got the one interview outfit and bus cards. And school clothes and supplies for Little One.
And I’m sure like a million other fucking things I need to take care but for now, I GOT A FUCKING JOB!!!
*pokes head into Lounge*
Hi, folks! Long time no talk!
I’ve been (intentionally) absent from atheist/skeptic spaces for a while, but I’ve been missing the Lounge lately. I figured I would pop back in and see what’s happening. It’s lovely to see so many familiar nyms!
I am well – finally recovered from grad school, employed in my field with a little bit of stability (I am incredibly lucky), and very happy to have moved out of my parents’ place and into my own little apartment. I’m going to try to at least lurk here a bit more often for a while.
I hope offerings of food are still customary – I cupcake-ified my spice cake recipe this weekend and it turned out pretty well. Plus, copious icing improves most things. Have a cupcake!
Congrats, JAL!
*celebratory cupcake with sparkler*
Tony!, my *tentacles* are all *crossed* to the point of cramping, re your job lead.
–
JAL:
HUZZAH!!!
*all singing, all dancing, all champagne-cork-popping!*
–
Welcome back Nutmeg! Congrats on recovery from grad school and appropriate employment and new abode. All great things. And spice cake is my favorite kind of cake. Opening port, ready to receive cupcake(s).
Nutmeg!
*pouncehug with extra pounce*
–
Tony! yay possible job!
JAL yay job!
JAL, CONGRA RATS WITH THE JOB!. The Pullet Patrol is in a tizzy, and I’ve been trying to calm them down with grog soaked corn. All that seems to do, is to make one think they can take me down, and then all the others grab onto the pullet, or other pullets grabbing the first pullet, to do the trick. With one trying to topple my heft, bones would break first. So I keep walking around followed by flying feathers and much clucking that sounds like laughter.
Tony, go in and work your charm. Sounds like the hours and jobs might be erratic, but enough for a decent paycheck. Tentacles crossed.
Yay JAL!!!!
Good luck Tony!!!!
Kid called to talk to Child 1 – he’s getting well settled in at Aunt’s. I’m very happy. :) I think he’ll get established where he is and do well. I’m glad it worked out when and how it did – he was at our house for two weeks, and that was too cramped and tight. Wouldn’t have worked for any longer than it was, and we wouldn’t have been able to let him stay more than that. Everything happened just in time.
My eldest girl kitty Rowan stopped grooming herself, so I ran some bloodwork on her and it was utterly normal. So my mind goes to “mouth or cancer “. Look in her mouth, and there’s only a little tartar. So I take her to her vet and we do x-rays, and she appears to have a stomach tumor. She’s 11 1/2 years old. We’re about to do an ultrasound on her, which will be as exciting as the rads because she is semi feral. /sigh. Poor Rowan.
Giliell, professional cynic -Ilk- @29 in a germane answer to my own broke point:
1. I’m not sure if I better had to go Nymelungen straight and give a befitting nym nym nym onomatopeia, given that I was already breaking phonetics with the second consonnant. Note that I’m breaking bad because then I could always hide behind the fact that French accent is so freaking bad that I’m also self mocking within puns**. Then, I feel unsure whether I didn’t break too far that you really did not get the Nibelungen ref (or that it was that bad a pun).
2. Please you can make the “actual” German word for benyming like jerk ideal hideous hide. I’d love that. I’ve always loved German for that impressive self expressive wordiness driving conceptual sentencing to a very pleasant extreme.
** Please if you* feel like missing a key to understanding some comments I made, try reading it with the worst Frenchy accent you can think of***, it will certainly help in about half the cases.
*** we never speak in tongue. Tongue is not a language tool there****.
**** (this pun might indeed be really hard to grasp if you don’t speak French, but tell me if you get it*****)
***** Pun is not dead.
****** you* did read one line too far.
Congrats, JAL, on the job! Good luck on the interview, Tony with the handsome new avatar! Hope the economy will start to pick up speed all around. Yay for carlie!
—
Let’s have something weird:
Rock and Roll
Ultrasound (kinda) accomplished. Unfortunately, because she is also aerophagic we couldn’t see the mass at all, and because she’s a feral little asshole (I love her, but this cat is nasty if it’s not on her very explicit terms) the main result was Ro’ deeply gouging my arm with her hind claws. And I got to chase her around the x-ray room, which was ‘fun’.
Here is a picture of 9 month old Rowan shortly after her diaphragmatic hernia repair. She was found on the street by some of my friends way back in 2004. Took me a year to pay that bill off, but it was worth it. She may be stand off-ish, neurotic, semi-feral and she who pees on my bed when annoyed, but she was my first cat and I love her.
http://imageshack.com/a/img661/9615/H5nqNP.jpg
And Ye Aulde X-Ray, with ye aulde ‘holy giant mass batman’. It’s going to eventually block her esophagus and make it so she can’t eat. Between the normal labwork, lack of athritis, weight loss (~10% of her body weight in the last 3 months) despite eating well, and the general ADR signs, the only option for this is ‘cancer’ and not ‘she ate something’.
http://imageshack.com/a/img537/4580/ostm4J.jpg
I realized something today, courtesy of JAL.
I walked to the store to get dog food a few hours ago, and as I often do, I kept myself occupied during the 10-15 minute walk by reading news on my phone. While I was caught up in reading, I got several Lounge updates. One of them was yours, JAL. As I read it, I felt this surge of happiness. Not for me, but for you. I felt a tingle up my spine and goosebumps. I even felt my eyes water a little bit. Having read your comments over the years and having an awareness of the financial stress you’ve been under, I was able to imagine (to some degree) the relief you must be feeling at having been hired.
The feeling of nearly being in tears was an odd experience for me. Like I said, I was (and am) quite happy for you. But I couldn’t recall when I’d almost (or fully) cried at good news. I usually cry when I’m sad or when I’m really angry.
Then it struck me: maybe I’m not crying because of specific emotions, but I cry because of extreme emotions. I often feel sad, but don’t cry. I often feel angry, but don’t cry. And of course, I often feel happy, but don’t cry. But it’s like there’s a threshold that, once crossed, something in my brain goes *click* and I can feel the tears start to form.
That’s what happened to me today, as a result of reading your wonderful news. Again, congratulations!
****
Nutmeg:
It’s lovely to see you around these parts again. Two things:
1- what’s your occupation (if you don’t mid sharing, that’s fine of course)
2- I’d love a cupcake. I just finished 3 cinnamon rolls that were slathered in icing, but your spice cupcakes sound irresistible .
3- Are you enjoying having a place to your own.
(oops, can’t count)
A unique elliptical pool table and ‘loop’ game designed by a mathematician:
JAL,
Congrats!!!!!
Good to read you again, Nutmeg.
carlie, it’s great that Kid is settling in.
chigau, do tell about the bear
Tony! and JAL that is such wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All fingers, tentacles, antennae, pseudopods and anything else possible are crossed for this to go well.
Good to read you, Nutmeg, and it sounds like things are going well – good for you!
Rowan, I’m so sorry. If nothing else, it’s good that your namesake is in expert hands – yours – and that you know so very much more than most about preventing suffering. It must be very hard for you, though. All the hugs.
Wait, that was 3.5 hours of unmitigated stress for a 15 minutes talk with my professor. That’s not time efficient.
Also, end of college term and end of school term at the same time is not a good thing. College students are walking around campus looking harassed because of EXAMS!!! Teachers take their highschool students to college so they can have a look at it, which means lots of noisy kids in corridors and entire classes blocking the sidewalk, adding to the college students’ stess levels.
JAL
Yayyyyyyy! Hope things are really starting to get better for you now.
Nutmeg
Pouncehug
Okidemia
Selbstbenamungsneurotiker
There you go.
I guess the pun is on langue as in tongue and language.
Rowan
I’m sorry to hear about Rowan the kitty.
chigau
Seconding beatrice, what about the bear?
Giliell, professional cynic -Ilk- #81
[exstatic happiness burst]
Selbsterklärig!
If it weren’t only me, I’d be messing even more with distortive wording:
Selbsterklärichtiges Wort.
Now I’m mooding toward asking you any kind of wordiness.
Like how would say for an exagerated anxiety to lose one’s teeth all at once?
Or more usefull to Pharyngula, how would you say for the spontaneous unreflexive pseudo-argument/reaction from male proponents that “it” isn’t actually sexism (when it obviously is at least partially –I’m referring to that very situation when things become more personnal than absolute general cases where people can more easily agree)?
Yep, that was the paradoxical issue where things wedn’t wrong, but I realise I was mixing our discussion with the singular you French language relies on similarly to the English singular they (I refer to you* when I spot it in my writing here), and it was adding mess to confusion… I really lean toward messianics! :)
Not adressed to me, but I’d answer this: “I shaved it yesterday, and it was a huge mistake”.
I’d love to expand on French accent and something that happened to me yesterday, but I really need to go if I don’t want to miss the first talk (which I am ethically not allowed today since I give mine later).
Wishing you all whatever nice and comforting, today and forever.
Best genuine whatever,
Tony and JAL, congrats! Happy to hear the news.
Question about filters: I just wrote a long-ish post in that Reddit thread and when I hit submit nothing showed up. I thought if something goes to moderation, you see a note saying so? It did include a racial slur. Does that mean the post won’t appear and I should repost it with the racial slur censored? (Luckliy I copied my post to clipboard before submitting).
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I have to go to work early. I have to get stuff done. I haven’t gotten anything done in two weeks, and I have a new summer student coming in this morning, and I HAVE TO GO TO WORK. And… we go outside, and Spouse’s car has been broken into (for values of “broken in” that include “opening an unlocked car door”). Nothing of value taken, and it must have been kids because they took a 6-pack of Coke but left one sitting on the seat, but we wanted to call it in just so it was on record. I thought it would be a 5 minute call, max. Nope. They’re sending an officer out. So now I have to sit here at home and wait. Dammit.
arghdammit, carlie :-(
Sorry for the aggravation. Glad you don’t have any valuables gone, or a smashed window … eh, it’s cold comfort though :-\
Thanks opposablethumbs. Turns out we really were lucky – the reason they sent out an officer was that there have been a couple of dozen car breakins in the area in the last few months, and many of the others have been worse – smashed windows, valuables taken, etc. I feel like a dork because not only did we smoosh ourselves all over the car trying to figure out what all was gone, but then Spouse drove away in the crime scene so as not to be late to work. We hadn’t even been thinking of it in terms of a crime scene, just our car and trying to figure out what was wrong with it. I honestly thought they’d be aggravated that I even bothered to call it in, much less that they would want to investigate it. The cop was kind of sad because he might have been able to get fingerprints off of the one soda that was left, but he did drive around to see if any of the others had been drunk and tossed in a yard somewhere.
Today is Cat Steven’s 65th birthday. As a kid, he spent some time in Sweden.
Of course, 1950s Sweden was pretty dull and religious. The place would not have proven that it is possible to have a fullfilled life while being secular.
— — — —
An 85-year old lady was in n article in Västerbottens-Kuriren, a local newspaper, today. She is one of a few from Älvdalen who still speaks a local language, grammaticallly distinct from Swedish*. She has postcards from her grandnma that are written with rhunes, a writing tradition that lived on until ca. 1900 in that region.
‘*but still not officially recognised a a distinct language , despite several vericts in the European court.
No biggy on the bear.
If a bear is sighted near any work-site, we get safe until it’s gone.
That close to the end of the day, we just came back to camp.
Yay for the Mellow Monkey sighting! Thanks, Tony
That thing when it’s so hot you can’t sleep so after a couple of days the tiredness and the heat catch up with you together and you get so miserable you just want to cry.
Poor Rowan.
And, also, poor Rowan.
*gentle&cautious scritches* for one, and *hugs* for the other.
–
Okidemia:
Yes, how?
I’d like to know what to call it, when I dream it.
:D
–
carlie, odd choice of thefted items, indeed! Otoh, a friend of mine once had his car more violently broken into—and all that was taken was his RPG-related things. Stereo—safe; change—safe. Kinda expensive gear shift doohickey-thingy—safe. Dice, reference books—gone.
–
Saad @84:
No, unfortunately if a comment goes into moderation there’s no notification.
****
Rowan:
Hugs and my sympathies about your cat.
****
Speaking of cat, my older cat-Kayta-is developing the most annoying eating habits (I hope she doesn’t have some serious physiological problem since I don’t have money to take her to a vet). She only eats moist food now-fine. Took me a while to figure that out. But now she doesn’t eat all her food at once, she goes back and forth to the bowl throughout the day-usually. The last few weeks though, I’ve noticed that she’ll eat when I first feed her, but she’ll go back a few times throughout the day, sniff the food and walk away. It’s like she’s hungry, but doesn’t want what she just ate hours ago. I’ve opened can after can of cat food and seen this happen. It’s frustrating because I ain’t rich. I can’t keep wasting money on cat food that she won’t eat.
ARGH!
Tony
There is, in fact, a notice: if you put in too many links, your comments will appear to you with a notice at the start saying “Your comment is in moderation” or the like. I know, I’m good at that one. :D
You’re correct, however, for when a comment goes into moderation for bad language, so Saad, I’m pretty sure it will appear if you take out (or censor) the bad words. :)
Rowan
Many *hugs’n’scritches* for both of you, distribute as desired. :(
carlie
Yays and boos your way, hopefully clear on how those should be distributed!!
Beatrice @91
Oh hey, I did some of that today while doing the old Circus Runaround Town while we played various levels of phone tag in the morning, proceeded to proceed to the City with three different stops on the way (pile out, pile in, repeat ad nauseum), picked up my sister, went to see Mum in hospital, took the kids out of the hospital so my sister could talk to Mum, hit the shops again (pile out, pile in!!!), hung out for a bit at the Old Apartment so the kids could get some air, left the kids with Husband, dropped my sister off at Aged Aunt’s, and proceeded to work alone and in silence and… well, not quite cried out, but at least currently the feeling is in retreat. We missed a car service appointment, though – I told Husband to reschedule it for Thursday – because there’s just no way I could have squeezed that anywhere in between. And Husband suggested I should just go on ahead to work with the kids, he’ll pick them up from there, as the car service is along the way… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No. I’m going to let them play in the playground near an assured source of food for a while, thanks!
(It hasn’t been HOT the past few days, but I’ve been sleeping poorly since the upper floor doesn’t ventilate too well, except for last night (it got hot) and today during the day (it was hot), and yeah, it just sort of… catches up and then jumps on you and then everything is a stressor.)
* Mum is in hospital for her second hip replacement, all has gone well, she is in good spirits and hopes to be out within a week. And my sister is still here because she missed her flight on Sunday and Monday’s were all sold out.
Komplettzahnverlustparanoia
+++
Can I say fuck capitalism? Fuck capitalism.
Mr informed me that there is going to be a “restructuring”. Not that their unit doesn’t make profit, it just doesn’t make enough profit.
Best case scenario for us: no changes. Because the cut’s going to be close to their particluar lab, but he doesn’t know which side they’re on.
Medium best: He’s part of the outsourced group but can sue to remain withth e mother company instead.
Medium: He keeps a safe job with the outsourced part for less money
Worst: unemployment.
Ok, even if it comes to worst by that time I should be able to pick up the tab, but fuck, fuck, fuck. This is not what we planned.
JAL
YAY!
Rowan
*hugs*, and scritches for kitty-Rowan. I’m sorry.
Nutmeg
Hi again!
Giliell
Fuck Capitalism
Beatrice and others coping with excessive temperatures.
*hugs* and sympathies.
Oh, “restructuring” . Translates as ” someone wants a bigger yacht”
Oh!
And also *three cheers and a tiger* for JAL and the new job!!!
And *many thumbs* for Tony and his interview. Sincerely best wishes for this working out, my friend!!!
Giliell, fuck capitalism and rentiers and greedheads who ruin everything. I loved your word, and am sending it to Rammstein as a song title (and first line).
JAL, Tony, I hope by this point I’m congratulating both of you about jobs, but one way or the other, I’m with you sister and brother.
Forgive me, those whom I’ve missed, I’m lying down and MyMouse has MyTablet. :)
Over on Facebook, a friend posted some thoughts on the 2013 movie Man of Steel. It prompted me to look up the opinion of a famous (in the comics world) writer, Mark Waid. Waid has been editing and writing comic books for decades and is one of the most respected and accomplished writers in the industry. He’s known for being a HUGE fan of Superman, and his opinion on the movie is informed obviously by his affection for the character. But at the same time as he has this emotional investment, he also lays out exactly why the movie was problematic. He explains in paragraph after paragraph why certain elements just don’t work.
In short, he didn’t just say “I don’t like this movie.” He explained in good detail-with some arguments so convincing that I’ve change my mind on the movie-why Man of Steel was not a good Superman movie.
Anyone with a few minutes ought to give it a read:
http://thrillbent.com/blog/man-of-steel-since-you-asked/
Oh fuck me.
Hulk Smash mode enabled-
Ya’ll remember how people were saying Michael Brown, Jr deserved to die because he reached for Darren Wilson’s gun? Or the people who say “do what the cops tell you and you’ll be fine”?
A WHITE sovereign citizen was arrested after TWICE trying to grab one of six loaded guns in his confederate flag car:
And guess who isn’t dead.
The deputies feared for their safety but DID. NOT. SHOOT.
Fuck me, I’m so goddamn angry I’m crying right now.
*hugs* for CaitieCat; to be delivered on your next access to YourTablet.
:)
–
Tony!, I did not like Man of Steel.
“Very cold” is a good description of what I took away from it. “Not very satisfying” works, as well. And “Disaster Porn”.
I have no plans to ever watch it again.
–
Tony 100 re Man of Steel.
I haven’t read the link yet, but I wanted to put this out there first — I found it ponderous. Like it was trying to be immense and epic and it just came out ponderous, slow-moving and heavy footed. That’s the overwhelming feeling I came away from my only viewing of the movie with.
And good luck on the interview.
JAL – Congrats on the job. And good luck with it.
The Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, entered the presidential race today. He is the 16th Republican to do so. ‘
In his announcement speech, Kasich said a lot of nice stuff about helping poor people, and giving a leg up to people down on their luck. And he did expand Medicaid in his state. So there’s that.
On the other hand, he is way off on the rabid rightwing edge when it comes to voting rights, labor unions, reproductive rights, green energy, etc. He worked for awhile as a Fox News Pundit and he was a managing director at Lehman until 2008.
Some pundits think of Kasich as a moderate. He once voted for an assault weapons ban. This, along with the Medicaid expansion, will probably knock him out of the Republican primary.
Pretty sad state of affairs on the rightwing.
But, Tony!…we live in
</tones of deep, bitter sarcasm>
–
In this episode of It’s not a symbol of hate!, Florida gun store owner stands in front of Confederate flag and states that his business is a Muslim-free zone and if you’re Muslim he won’t sell you a gun. This just a month after the white supremacist terrorist attack. Also, just how much gun crime in America is due to Muslims? Also, fuck him.
Thankee all for the sympathies.
Tony, that does sound like your kitty might have something going on. I’m in a fairly comfortable place right now and I would like to offer to pay for a vet visit and bloodwork for your creature, if that is not out of line.
Rand Paul is getting desperate. Maybe he wants to out-trump Donald Trump. He released a video of him taking a chainsaw, a wood chipper, and fire to a stack of paper.
YouTube link
This was part of Rand Paul’s campaign to reduce the tax code to one page, and the US tax system to a flat tax.
And here’s what Donald Trump had to say about asking god for forgiveness:
Ah, shades of Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin. Seems like the Republican field always has one candidate who cannot form coherent sentences. And there must be one candidate who dresses down to casual clothes in order to wield a chainsaw.
Wishes and hopes and crossed tentacles for parental health (and general familial stress levels all round), rq, and spousal employment, Giliell. And familial stress levels too, come to think of it :-\
Tony!, might it be worth trying a slight change of regimen: feed cat smaller amounts at shorter intervals, while keeping the rest of the can covered/wrapped in clingfilm in the fridge in between times to avoid waste? In case she doesn’t have her appetite calibrated for a large meal in one go, and is one of those cats who fairly quickly detect food as not-fresh if it’s been standing a while (particularly wet food in hot weather). I’m not experienced with this problem, but maybe others are (not having a cat myself, and having a dog who will eat pretty much anything at the drop of a – well anything. If it hits the floor, she’s interested and has probably already vanished it thoroughly and completely before you even noticed you’ve dropped it; if it hasn’t hit the floor yet (and isn’t going to), she’s still watching just in case.)
Donald Trump gave out Lindsey Graham’s cell phone number so that conservatives will harass Graham over his criticism of Trump. Trump is so immature, so over the top.
In other news, more than 1,200 guns and two tons of ammunition were found in an upscale Southern California home. NBC Los Angeles link
Shitfire, Lynna; that’s a lot of weaponry!
–
Rowan:
I’d love to take you up on that, though I’m not sure how that would work given that I’ve no idea how much it would cost.
opposablethumbs @109:
I never thought about the quality of the food. I buy moist, canned cat food for her and put out half of it at a time. She rarely eats all of it in one sitting, choosing to come back periodically. But sometimes she doesn’t do that. Her eating is so erratic and it is maddening. I’ll try your suggestion though about keeping the remainder of the food sealed for freshness.
Tony @ 101
The “sovereign citizen’s” grandmother claimed that he’s just an outdoors kind of guy and not a threat to anybody. Could be, but I fail to see how could he need all those guns for hunting (or any other reasonable purpose in his car) and why they would have to be carried loaded, a cartridge chambered.
Had the guy been black and/or the cops incompetent someone would have died quite possibly.
Lynna @ 110
1200 guns and 2 tons of ammo! That’s enough to arm a few battalions. The question is why? Did somebody with more money than brains want to create a private army, was some nearly bankrupt gun wholesaler unable to pay the rent to his warehouse or was somebody going to sell them to the drug cartel in Mexico?
PZ commented recently on the deceptive tactics, and the anti-factual statements, of Republicans trying to defund Planned Parenthood. The comments also covered the deceptively edited video put out by anti-abortion activists.
I noted in those previous threads that defunding organizations based on deceptive videos reminded me of the whole defund-ACORN debacle. The voter-registation/help poor people organization suffered so much from the James O’Keefe video treatment that it died in 2010. Since that time, Republicans have continued to blame ACORN for stealing elections, including the 2012 election. House Republicans have voted to defund the nonexistent organization multiple times.
Well, guess what, ACORN is back in rightwing news.
Right Wing Watch link.
As I noted in other threads, these deceptive videos hang around in the rightwing bubble forever. No matter how often they are debunked, the videos are still viewed as a factual basis on which Republicans act.
Update: the makers of deceptive Planned Parenthood video #1 have issued deceptive video #2. Think Progress link
More potentially bad news when it comes to access to birth control for women: A religious politician in Missouri didn’t want his adult daughters to have health plans that covered birth control. Sheesh.
Think Progress link
Obviously Rowan will most certainly know better than I do about anything pet-related – it just occurred to me as maybe worth trying for a couple of days or so, purely on the off-chance (because my neighbour’s cat does this (I’ve cat-sat for them) and they told me to only give her a small portion at a time).
Hope the feeding situation improves.
Tony, if you call your vet and request an over the phone estimate for a physical exam and senior bloodwork (chem, cbc, t4, u/a) and let me know what that comes to, I’ll paypal it to you. That will help start ruling out certain problems. My addy contains the word spirit which is connected directly to the word serpents and is located at Hotmail.
Opposablethumbs , your idea is good to try. Sometimes senior cays just get picky, but ruling out kidney and thyroid issues will help as well.
Some people in Utah are tired of the annual July “Pioneer Days” which are focused on Mormon history. Instead, pie-n-beer days are being celebrated. I’m not sure how well pie and beer go together, but I do like the play on words. The savory pies sound like they’d go well with beer.
Love the pie-in-the-faces-of-mormons aspect. Mormons don’t drink beer, or any alcohol … supposedly. They do eat a lot of pie and have their own recipes handed down from the pioneers — but with, I suspect, a fuck-ton more sugar added. I’ve tasted some of those pies. They’ll put you in a coma.
The day being what it was, I have now eaten altogether too many pastries. Going to go home and probably have a few more.
Jade Helm
re Saad’s link @122:
More info on the second heavily-edited attack video released by the Center for Medical Progress. Slate link
I don’t think this is good news. I don’t think this is helpful.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/no-thanks-military-asks-armed-militiamen-to-go-away-and-stop-trying-to-guard-recruiting-centers/
The picture is from Lynna’s link @ 125.
I’m sure the Founding Fathers didn’t have this in minds when they wrote “well regulated militia” to the Second Amendment.
Rowan @118:
I’ll try to do that as soon as I can, but I don’t want to have you pay for anything until I can even transport my cat to the vet. I currently have $10 to my name, so I can’t even get a cab to take me to the vet. Hopefully I’ll get hired tomorrow. I’ll let you know.
Thank you again.
Priceless hate mail http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2015/07/20/mikey-gets-email-21/#more-36530
This guy sounds pretty (sic!) to me.
And what are the Chaplins doing in the army?
At least six missing after clampdown on human rights lawyers in China http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/21/human-rights-lawyers-china-missing-clampdown
Arnold is doing some good:
Arnold Schwarzenegger: climate change is not science fiction http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/21/arnold-schwarzenegger-climate-change-is-not-science-fiction
Some life strategies were stable, some were not:
“Archaeologists use new methods to explore mov from hunting, gathering to farming” http://phys.org/news/2015-07-archaeologists-methods-explore-farming.html
Ugh, today was supposed to be busy day for the Redhead. A visit by a doctor to fit her leg brace, and by the equipment company renting out the bed to replace the temporary replacement. They kept calling back and forth, the doctor ran late, so all that got fixed was the bed. Nice and quiet. The doctor is rescheduled for tomorrow???? haven’t heard on that yet.
Tonight her parents call and talk for a couple of hours. Time to test out the bed remote for the pre-call change.
Just let me know when Tony. There’s not really much I can do for my Rowan, but I can maybe help your kitty instead.
Hugs offered for Tony! and Rowan and scritches for their furry feline friends. Hugs also available for anyone else in need of same.
JAL, congratulations on your job! Tony! I have appendages crossed for you.
I know there are other people to be congratulated, comforted and supported, but my brain has been going on and off-line, so I will just refill the basket of hugs and let you help yourselves. Seriously, brain, when I intend to walk into the livingroom and give Shadow her cat treat, and find myself in the front hall staring at the thermostat, seriously, what is going on here?
Although I must admit that trying to give the Younger Daughter, whose nickname is Kitty, a cat treat meant for one of the actual cats was kind of amusing.
*hugs to all who would like them*
***
Rowan: I’m sorry about your cat. It’s rough when there’s so little we can do for them. Your offer to Tony is really kind.
Tony: Yay for promising employment situation! And to answer your question without giving identifying details, I’m a lab technician. I do molecular biology type stuff, mostly for ecology and evolution type questions. Most of what I’ve done for the past few years has been a mix of population genetics and gene expression. My day-to-day life is a mixture of benchwork (good), fieldwork (good), data analysis (yay!), writing (bleh, but apparently I’m good at it), and training/guiding junior lab members (man, I wish I had better people skills).
And yes, I love living on my own! Occasionally it’s lonely, but not often, and mostly it’s quiet and low-stress.
rq: I’m not caught up on what’s been happening with you, but it sounds very stressful. *hugs* if wanted.
Giliell: Ugh, restructuring sounds like it sucks. I hope that one of the better-case scenarios happens.
SMH.
Sexist as fuck material ahead.
Apparently the world needed more of men judging womens’ bodies.
Behold, the world’s first vagina beauty pageant.
The author of that Daily Dot piece speaks approvingly of this contest. If the name is any indication, the author is male.
Grammar question-
I composed a sentence recently that said “Another day, another black person killed by a LEO.”
Should that have read ‘an’ LEO? I used ‘a’, because LEO stands for ‘law enforcement officer’. Boy, it’s been a while since I was last in school.
I think it depends on how it’s read. If you automatically read it out as ‘law enforcement officer’, then ‘a’ is correct. If you pronounce it as leo, as I do, then a is also correct. If you pronounce it el-e-o, then an would be preferred.
Rowan:
Thanks.
I just posed the same question on FB, and I think I opened a can of worms.
Somehow I feel like I can’t leave things dangling here. So I’ll mention that I’m no longer sick. However, I did have hernia surgery on Monday, so now I’m in pain. But it’s a good kind of pain. I think. Hopefully I’ll be motivated enough tomorrow to start chucking resumes out into the abyss again.
Thanks again to everyone for being nice to me.
Ouch fuck. I smashed my elbow into something and now it hurts
Reyfox
Get well soon.
Tony and Rowan
*hugs for kitties*
+++
I also take hugs. Today is the official announcement of the “restructuring”. Maybe we’ll get some concrete news on Mr’S lab in particular. Unless they’re not affected at all, there will be consequences at casa Giliell. For one thing we’d planned for Mr to reduce his work hours when I start the on the job part of teacher training cause they make you crawl naked through hell and back and say “thank you” for the privilege. I guess that’s cancelled now. Lucky me…
Giliell @140:
Hopefully Mr’s lab won’t be affected and if it is, I hope it’s minimally.
****
Rey Fox @139:
Yay for not being sick. Boo for being in pain.
****
I just read that Ta-Nehis Coates is an atheist. Didn’t know that.
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I had a thought while writing a blog post. Remember those Buffy-vamps that turn to dust when you stake them? What if that dust could be used for something?
• sprinkle it over yourself and gain vampiric abilities, but maybe take on some of the personality traits of the vamp
• snort it like a drug and trip on the memories of the vamp
• mix it with water to form a clay figure that can become either a golem or a demonic Wonder Woman
Tony – “a” versus “an” goes by how you pronounce it, not what letter technically starts it. So if you say the word like “leo”, it’s a because it’s a hard consonant sound. If you say “l – e – o”, it’s an, because the letter “l” is pronounced “el”, which means a vowel start. Just like how we say “an hour” even though it starts with an h. Ooo, weird. “An h”? Ok, H pronounced aitch? I guess so. Now I want to go through each letter of the alphabet and think about it….
Dressing the Woman in Gold: The Unknown Bohemian Designer behind the Paintings. Love this.
Shit!
Indian villagers behead woman over ‘witchcraft’ http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/indian-villagers-behead-woman-over-witchcraft/
Tony, another option to get powers is to find the ring belonging to the king of the Nazgul, the one who was killed on the plain of Pelennor. Nobody else remembered that ring, not Gandalf, not Aragorn, nor the hobbits.
I have this strange desire to watch Little Women. I haven’t thought about that movie in years.
Re birger’s link in 128: It was perverse fun to read that screed, what with Jesus Christ being quoted as saying “fuck you,” but in all caps.
The screed was littered with “(sic)” thanks to all of the spelling errors, but there should have been more. “Your” should have been flagged with “(sic)” when “you’re” was correct.
As you might expect, Donald Trump is not apologizing for giving out Lindsey Graham’s private cell phone number. When questioned about the incident on Fox News today, Trump said, “I did it for fun.” He followed up with, “He calls me names, you have to fight back.”
Trump has been calling people names. One of his favorites is “Loser.”
Republicans campaigning to be president are putting their economic plans together. To do this, they are consulting with long-discredited economists who have been proven wrong repeatedly.
For example, Rand Paul and John Kasich have been meeting with Art Laffer and with Stephen Moore. (Moore is from the Heritage Foundation.)
Maddow Blog link
Krugman’s take on Laffer:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/the-laffer-swerve/
More on the armed citizens who have chosen to stand guard at recruiting offices after the shootings in Chattanooga
Link to St. Louis Post-Dispatch page hosting Associated Press reporting.
Note that the number of recruiting offices being “protected” is growing by the hour. This is not a good situation.
CW’s ‘Arrow’ has cast Jimmy Akingbola as Baron Blitzkrieg.
Jimmy Akingbola is black.
Baron Blitzkrieg is a Nazi.
Who thought this was a good idea?
2 officers fired at Chattanooga shooter:
Neville Longbottom Just Neville Longbottomed More Than He’s Ever Longbottomed Before.
I want a new week. Just decided “hey, you’ve wanted to call your aunt in Berlin for months, why don’t you do so now?” Caught her in hospital. :(
Well, I hope this backfires big time. The anti-abortion activists that have been releasing deceptively edited video interviews of Planned Parenthood employees have decided to mess with the Notorious RBG.
Right Wing Watch link. Audio of the talk radio interview is also available at the link.
Margaret Sanger did say some stupid stuff that was fashionable at the time, but she was not a Nazi, was not “embedded with the Nazis,” and she did not support racial eugenics.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is innocent of every charge laid against her by anti-choice activists, with the exception of being a “sitting Supreme Court justice.”
Rey Fox,
It’s good to hear you’re getting better. I hope the pain will pass soon. Good luck with resume chucking! Some advise careful targeting but I’m a proponent of just tossing everything everywhere and hoping you hit something good.
Giliell, *hugs*
Just saw Liked on FB, picture of a t-shirt that says: “Marriage is a workshop where husband works and wife shops”.
Can I have the puke-bucket?
You get a puke bucket and a hammer and glassware for that.
You’re also allowed to yell furiously.
BTW, did you know that there’s actually a reason why women “go shopping”? Nope, nothing to do with berries and such. Going shopping was about the first public place women (of a certain class, the one that mattered) were allowed to go unchapperoned. They couldn’t go to a pub alone, they couldn’t go to a theatre alone, they couldn’t go for a damn walk in the park alone, but they could go shopping. Also, shopping is fucking work.
Good old established, respected sexism
It has more than 107,000 likes on Facebook so far and comments like “words to ponder” and “very nice and educative piece” and “awesome message!”
When I got to the mining analogy, I was almost certain this was a parody. Poe defeats me again.
Hello.
*Sigh* One of the communities I’m sort of a part of seems to be in the latter phases of membership decline. I haven’t talked to a friend on there in ages. And I haven’t found many new ones. Cue boredom and hypochondria etc.
And I keep worrying that I’m not going to amount to anything in life. Of course, if I do nothing, I won’t.
Why is troubleshooting my life so difficult?
Just been watching the last part (sadly missed much of it) of an outstanding BBC documentary by David Olusoga, Britain’s Forgotten Slave-Owners – the part I saw was mainly about the vast economic and socio-cultural influence, after abolition in the 1830s, of the money from slavery (the £20 million (£17 billion in today’s money) paid in compensation to the slave-owners – what they then invested in (UK infrastructure, the UK’s industrial revolution, the UK’s “great houses”, the UK’s banking and insurance/financial industries, great UK institutions like the British Musum, some of the Royal Societies and the National Gallery)) and of the pro-slavery propaganda arguments (essentially the first emergence and development of many if not most of the concepts used to justify British imperial expansion and racism today).
A lot of it was all about the meticulous paper trail followed by a UCL research team, linking names and amounts on the compensation records with names and amounts on subsequent investment records and lists of shareholders in various companies.
Historical research and history programming, tracing the sheer scale of the use of enslaved labour in underpinning UK prosperity. Illuminating comparisons betwen the compensation to slave-owners and the banks bail-out – both systems regarded as “too big to fail” because of how much national and international credit networks relied on them.
Well worth watching/finding on line if you get the chance.
Oh, and the compensation money was mostly raised from taxes on commodities (there was no income tax then) so it was raised proportionally more from the poorest in the UK and paid to a small number of the richest. Of course the slave-owners got compensation while the slaves got nothing, not like that’s never been seen anywhere else.
Saad @160:
As soon as I got to the first mention of God, I knew it was sexism all the way down. Fuck that noise. Women are not jewels. Women are not inanimate, non-living things. They are human beings with rights. Among those rights are the freedom to dress however the fuck they want to. And they should also have the right to exist in public on their own terms without being shamed for their appearance.
(I know you knew all that)
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thunk @161:
I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully you’ll be able to find friends or a community (or both) that fits your needs/wants/desires. Sooner, rather than later.
And I share your worry about not amounting to anything in life. I wish I had some advice to offer, but I’m almost 40 and still feel I haven’t amounted to much.
****
Went to the job interview. It went ok. I couldn’t get a read on the owner, so I couldn’t tell one way or the other how he felt about me. Unfortunately (though understandably), they’re going to take 4-5 days of interviewing people before deciding on the two they want to hire (this is just for the bar), so I won’t know anything til next week. Sigh. I really wish I could have heard “You’re hired. When can you start.” I’d have said “right now”.
I mean it wasn’t an awful interview. It’s just…well…I’d really like to get my life back on track and it’s so frustrating that not everything is in my control. Yeah, I know. Life isn’t fair.
thunk: Bulba 9000!
hugs if you want some.
I think troubleshooting one’s life is difficult because…life is difficult?
At least…that’s what I try to tell myself when I’m getting stuck in “what’s wrong with me, why don’t I have this figured out, why is this easy for everyone but MEEEE?!!!”.
IOW, I hear ya and feel for ya! I have a reserved seat in that boat myownself!
Whoooooo dogies!
That comment thread about the internet cesspool whose names rhymes with bread-it. Holy FreezePeachy obfuscation, Batman. I guess there is a type of peach that makes a bad bellini cocktail!
Kudos to the several Horde regulars doing the heavy lifting of calling bullshit on the bullshitters!
Tony!
hugs and encouragement for you, too, man.
I still say: U R Good People…and really wish I could make those basic good things, like a decent job/income happen for you!
Tony,
I hope you get the job. Sometimes it’s the so-so interviews that end up surprising us and I hope that is the case here.
*fingers crossed*
USA wins International Math Olympiad:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-u-s-s-math-olympiad-win-breaks-chinas-dominance/
I did participate on the lead-up tests to the IMO a few times, and took the USAJMO once (the national-level test for 9th/10th grade). Didn’t do too well on that one (turned out geography is more my thing). The level of competition is extremely intense at the higher levels–kudos to the people who can handle that!
Hey all,
Hugs if ya want some. I’m afraid I’m too ‘rupt to offer congrats and sympathies to all that deserve/need them. Sorry about that.
_____
I was just browsing around the inner-nets for info about the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. Once again, I am reminded to never read the comments.
The Brigham Young University float in the mormon-themed “Days of ’47” parade featured a sign that misspelled “education” as “educaton.”
It’s Pioneer Days in Utah, a time when mormons go all out to honor the date when their prophet at the time, Brigham Young, first entered Salt Lake Valley. Every year, the mormons seem to get something wildly wrong, or hilariously off-topic, (like the float that featured oversize cardboard representations of the Duck Dynasty stars, guys who are not mormon).
http://fox13now.com/2015/07/21/theres-no-i-in-educaton-it-takes-a-team-if-youre-a-byu-parade-float/
More images of mormon eccentricities can be viewed in the photo gallery attached to this article:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/2755482-155/human-cricket-smoking-dragon-days-of
There’s a guy who looks like Moses on a float that depicts him about to be swallowed by a whale, Job maybe? There’s a seagull eating a human being, and a float with some sort of cougar-like creatures pulling a pioneer wagon, (supposed to be “tapirs” from the Book of Mormon maybe?). There were no floats featuring one man with many wives.
awakeinmo @170:
There’s not a whole lot of new information about it, as far as I’ve been able to tell (and my morning ritual is to check my blog, then Pharyngula, then my comic book sites which typically contain updates on comic book movies).
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Funny Diva, Saad:
Thanks to you both.
Tony!
I would think that a thinking barman such as yourself would be a tremendous asset to any drinking establishment. Yeah, what do I know. Good luck my friend.
A chuckle: a facebook friend who also lives up here on the mountain commented that there seemed to be a lot of big bears hanging around the local Mormon Temple at night. Yeah, even up here in Bumfuck Nowhere we have a Mormon Temple. Another local friend commented that the bears have always hung around that area. First friend then asks “Why? Are Mormons more tasty?”
Morgan @173:
I can bearly contain my laughter.
NEW THREAD.